Tag Archives: Baloch of Karachi

At 8pm yesterday, the bustling Lyari life in Ali Mahmad Mohala, Zikri Paara was interrupted with the sheer noise of what sounded like indiscriminate firing. This firing continued for another five hours before at least five people were killed and dozens other were arrested.

Lyari has never been the most peaceful part of the world. The power game between different Pakistani political parties has turned the Baloch populated locality to one of the most dangerous parts in South Asia.

Whether it was a case of morals or politics, 40 years have passed since chants of ‘Balochi film chalay ga tou cinema jalay ga’ echoed in Karachi’s streets. Today, however, as a new generation of Baloch tries to take up the mantle, a plethora of challenges must still first be overcome

By Zia Ur Rehman

Karachi: Forty long years had passed since an agitation was initiated for a ban on screening the first ever Balochi film and, since then, not a single Balochi production has managed to make it to the silver screen, regrets Lala Fateh Muhammad Nazar, a prominent musician from Lyari, as he speaks of the conspicuous absence of Balochi films from Pakistan’s movie theatres despite a thriving regional language cinema industry in the country today.

“If the government didn’t take any steps to save trees, the people of Karachi will have to prepare themselves for another heatstroke, which will be more disastrous.” Gul Hasan Kalmati

By Hanif Dilmurad

The Malir district of Karachi, which once provided about 40% of the city’s fruits and vegetables is nowadays facing serious environmental challenges because of illegal sand and gravel lifting from the Malir River.

Despite imposing Section 144 and banning the practice, hundreds of tonnes of sand and gravel are lifted from the river every day.